TOLEDO, OH – Toledo (8-28, 3-8 MAC) will hit the road for a three-game series against Central Michigan (15-21-1, 4-2-1 MAC) on April 15-16 in Mount Pleasant, MI. The Rockets will play a single contest on Friday at 3:00 p.m. before returning to Margo Jonker Stadium on Saturday for a 1:00 p.m. doubleheader.
     Saturday's doubleheader will also be CMU's annual Strikeout Cancer Pink Game, sponsored by the National Fastpitch Coaches Association. The aim is to raise money and awareness for the National Cancer Research Foundation.
     Senior OF Jessica Lemieux is one of Toledo's top offensive threat this season. The Banks, OR native holds a .343 batting average with 37 hits through UT's 36 games. Lemieux has scored a team-high 20 runs and recorded 56 total bases. The senior leads the team in doubles (8) and stolen bases (21).
     Junior 2B Chandler Rice is second on the team with a .327 average. She has tallied a team-high 19 RBI and five home runs, while also recording 34 hits and 17 runs. She also leads the team in slugging percentage (.564) and total bases (57). Rice and Lemieux are tied with a team-high eight doubles.
     Rice was selected as the MAC West Player of the Week for her performance in last week's doubleheaders vs. EMU and Ohio. Rice posted a .545 batting average (6-for-11), while recording, one double, one triple, two homeruns and 15 total bases. She scored five runs, tallied five RBI and swiped three bags.
     In the circle, senior Marla Gooding leads the Rockets with a 4.27 ERA and 49 strikeouts in 119.2 innings pitched. Gooding has made 25 appearances on the mound, hurling for 12 complete games and winning seven. Freshman RHP Heather Webb has tied Gooding with 49 strikeouts in 68.2 innings. Webb recorded her first victory last week in Toledo's five-inning shutout against Eastern Michigan (April 5).
     Central Michigan is coming off of a 6-0 loss to Western Michigan and enter the weekend series with a 15-21-1 overall record and a 2-8-1 MAC record. CMU is batting a .287 as a team and they have totaled 23 home runs.   
     Sophomore OF Sydney Heath is leading the Chippewa's offense with a .376 batting average after going 32-for-85 through 33 games played. Senior SS CarolAnn Sexauer has posted a .319 batting average and has tallied a team-high six home runs, six doubles and 26 RBI.
     CMU's starting pitcher, junior Rachael Knapp, has recorded a 3.30 ERA after 108.1 innings pitched. Knapp has thrown 22 strikeouts and has recorded three shutouts.
     The Chippewas lead the all-time series with the Rockets, 63-26. Last season, Toledo split its doubleheader with CMU, winning the opener, 2-0, but dropping game two, 7-4. It was the Rockets' fourth-consecutive conference series split with Central Michigan.
     Toledo fell to Eastern Michigan, 8-6, in its third match-up of the season. With the loss, the Rockets fall to 8-28 on the season and 3-8 in the MAC, while the Eagles improve to 15-23 overall and 5-6 in the conference.
     Junior 3B Brittany George led Toledo's offense going 3-for-3 with a home run and three RBI. Sophomore CF Ashley Rausch, sophomore DP Kaitlyn Bergman and junior 2B Chandler Rice each recorded a hit for UT.
     Toledo plated the game's first runs in the third inning. Freshman SS Megan Choate scored the Rockets' first run on Rice's sacrifice fly. George singled up the middle on the next play to bring home senior RF Jessica Lemieux. Bergman's RBI single to center field scored Rausch for UT's final run of the frame
    EMU's Aoife Duffy doubled to left field in the fourth to put the Eagles on the board after Brandice Olomos' RBI single.
    Eastern Michigan took its first lead with three runs in the fifth following an RBI single and a Toledo error.
     The Eagles extended their lead with four more runs in the sixth.
     After two quick outs in the seventh, George blasted her second homer of the season to left field. She scored sophomore 1B Samantha Showalter, who had reached on a walk. The Rockets were unable to plate any more runs to complete their comeback.
     Senior RHP Marla Gooding took the loss for the Rockets after pitching 6.1 innings. Gooding gave up five earned runs, walked one and struck out one.
     Toledo will welcome IPFW to the Glass City on April 20 for a doubleheader starting at 2:30 p.m. at Scott Park. The Rockets will then travel to Kalamazoo, MI to battle Western Michigan in three games on April 22-23.
 
Follow along to this weekend's actions on Twitter @ToledoSoftball, or click the live stats link provided.